I would like to thank NetGalley and the Publisher's for giving me a sneak peak into this amazing book!

The perfect paths of Niveus Private Academy has a scandal on its hands when an anonymous texter known as Aces brings to light two students' dark secrets. Devon finds comfort in music but when his private photos are leaked, he can no longer hide from the spotlight. Head girl Chiamaka is willing to do anything it takes to reach the top, but soon people will see the price she has paid for her power. Someone is out to get them, someone who knows it all and isn't about to put their cards down.

The first few chapters I got to read are gripping, setting the stage for what I anticipate to be an utterly nail bitting thriller. The chapters shift in perspectives between Devon and Chiamaka, providing us with a glimpse into their personalities and relationships with fellow students. The setting of Niveus gives the reader a feeling of an elite boarding school where secrets are hidden behind bank notes, branded clothes and expensive cars. There is a clear indication of themes regarding racism, sexuality and classism being explored in this book. I look forward to picking up this YA thriller which releases June 10th, 2021.

Black main characters and dark queer academia? Say less, this first chapter had me sold and I love the new cover art. Will be preordering this and putting it at the top of my tbr once it comes out.

I received a sample of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! What a great start to this book. I love that while we’ve only just been introduced to these characters we already have a good feel for who they are, but also get the idea that there is more to them than what meets the eye.

Devon is very likable and a character you already feel for and want to root for. Chiamaka is a bit harder to like right off the bat, but she is also incredibly intriguing and a character I want to know more about. The few side characters we have been introduced to are also characters that feel like they will add an interesting dynamic and add to the story.

This is a book I would want to finish and keep reading, especially after where the book left off. Can’t wait to read more!

Thank you for providing me ARC in exchange for honest review.I had great time reading the book.The plot is amazing and stays to its genre.Do give it a try

I read the first 3 chapters featured in the Sneak Peek, and oh my God I am HOOKED. I am so invested in this story, and I'm so excited to pick up the full book when it comes out in June. It's exciting and the writing is gripping, and the characters are so interesting. I can't wait till June. Counting down the days...

This is gonna be a page turner. Just a few chapters in and I'm dying to get my hands on this book. Ace of Spades is exhilarating and addictive and I found myself already trying to read back through the beginning pages to see if I might be able to find out who aces could be.

This is perhaps my most anticipated read of the summer.

This sneak peek was interesting but almost unreadable as most of the words were all strung together in the sampler. As a result, it really broke the flow of reading.
From what I could gather, it was an interesting take on a Gossip-Girl-esque situation set in a private school - with someone spreading gossip about two of the newly-appointed prefects. The three chapters certainly caught my attention, and left me wanting to read more.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for this little sneak peek!

So it was only the first 3 chapters but they were most definitely intriguing ones! We have two very interesting, completely contrasting characters, a mysterious new headmaster, and a school that is full of secrets.

For our two mains, on one side w have Devon, the poorer student who is only interested in music. He has only one friend and pretty much always fades into the background. Until the new headmaster makes him a senior prefect, seemingly out the blue.

Another senior prefect is Chiamaka, who has been perfecting her school life since she first started. She pretty much rules the school and wants to keep it that way.

The sampler ends with a secret being revealed and I cannot wait to see what happens next!

Definitely a highly anticipated read.

What an exciting start to a book! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this sampler in anticipation of the release for Ace of Spades

I’ll be (impatiently) waiting by my mailbox in June for my preorder to arrive.

Welcome to Niveus Private Academy, where money paves the hallways, and the students are never less than perfect. Until now. Because anonymous texter, Aces, is bringing two students' dark secrets to light. Talented musician Devon buries himself in rehearsals, but he can't escape the spotlight when his private photos go public. Head girl Chiamaka isn't afraid to get what she wants, but soon everyone will know the price she has paid for power. Someone is out to get them both. Someone who holds all the aces. And they're planning much more than a high-school game...- Goodreads

Its a bit hard for me to come up with the words to describe this sneak peak. It gives you a good look into the characters as you read them in alternate point of views. It doesn't take long to give the reader something shocking, so that gives me the impression that I would be hanging on to every word and be at the edge of my seat with this book.

Based on the sneak peak, I would recommend this at what it appears to be an intense drama that happens to be based on high school students.

4 Pickles

This was a quick but enjoyable read. I liked how well the characters are described and the tension buildup in the 3 chapters provided. The excerpt cut off at the perfect point leaving me desperate for more. I’m definitely going to check this story out.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for this excerpt.

Ok, I read that sneak peek so much faster than I thought I would and... DAMN!!! That start was already really good and funny and crazy. I'm so excited to read the rest of the book soon.

Its such a short amount of pages but I already love the characters so much (more Devon than Chi so far). I was gasping at the end, I'm so excited to read the rest; june cannot come fast enough. (I cant actually rate it yet but what I've read was rlly fun so i guess 4 stars)

There were only a few chapters in the sneak peek but i loved it!! I really enjoy both of the main characters’ point of views already, so I’m really excited for the release!

A promising sneak peek! It was really enjoying to read. I am looking forward to the release date of Ace of Spades!

It is hard to judge a whole book just by its 25 pages, but I think this is more than enough to know if I want to continue reading or not, and the answer is yes, definitely yes! It looks like the book is going to deliver the premise that it promised on the synopsis, and as for me, I am hooked. I don’t know what is going on with the A card, but count me as interested

As for the characters, we got to know Devon and Chiamaka’s perspective, and a little glimpse on other secondary characters.
Devon is a bit of a lonesome and only has one friend, but still gets elected as one of the school prefects, which is a cliché I can’t really get behind, but it’s fine. Maybe you’re not as unpopular as you made us believe? Is someone setting you up? Also the amount of times he said he is not popular, nor a main character is infuriating for a first chapter. That said, I would like to know more about him and his backgroun, which makes him different from the rest of students, since he is there with a scholarship.

Chiamaka is the complete opposite of Devon, for her popularity is a contest she needs to win. She has been chosen as Senior Head Prefect for the third time in a row and everyone in school knows who she is. Her “friends” don’t seem to be very nice and I am hoping she will ditch them by the end of this book and finds someone better, but then again, I don’t know how nice of a person she is herself.

All in all, I can’t wait for June 1st to read the rest of the novel!

I received a chapter sampler from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, so please note my rating may change when I read the whole book.

From the small sample I got of this book I can already feel the dark academia vibes and I love the plethora of dark academia books we’ve been receiving lately.
Although this book wasn’t previously on my radar, you can bet it is now! Gossip girl, meets Get Out, with character who may be non neurotypical. (Devon) possibly, don’t hold me to it, I haven’t read the whole book yet. But his rituals and love of routine?
So awesome that we’re getting diverse characters!

Sign me up! I can’t wait for the rest of this book.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this arc sneak peak of Ace of Spades.

Going into the arc, I was pretty hooked from the first chapter. Despite it's length, I felt a tad emotional simply reading some of the thoughts going through Devon's head, and because of that I liked him as a character instantly. Not only was he enjoyable to read about, but his ideologies on the things around him made him stand out to me as a reader.

I enjoyed the writing, and already added this to my goodreads TBR because of how much I look forward to continuing it. The ending made me want to pick the book up right away! Unfortunately I'll have to wait a few more months to finish it, but I look forward to once it does.